Urban Inequality in HBO’s The Wire

Details

INSTRUCTOR: Matthew Acevedo

SECTION: RVI

SCHEDULE: Online

Course Description

This two-semester course explores themes of urban inequality, issues of race and class, and topics related to social justice and the power of institutions, using the HBO program The Wire as a literary text. Mirroring the structure of the show, this course will examine the role of the war on drugs, labor, politics, education, and the media in contemporary urban life. In addition to the show itself, the course will rely heavily on supplemental supporting texts, and students are required to think critically and reflectively in a writing-intensive context.

*NOTE: There is no required textbook for this course, although students will be required to obtain access to the first three seasons of The Wire, available through Amazon Prime (recommended), HBO, or on Blu-ray/DVD.*

*NOTE_2: Please be advised that this show contains graphic imagery related to violence, drug use, and sexuality. Watching this show will expose you to “adult” language and themes. If this poses a problem for you, it is best that you find another course to take before the add/drop period ends. No accommodations will be given based on any objections to any themes in this course.